‘The X-Files’ leads 4 great thriller binges free on Pluto TV
‘The X-Files’ leads 4 great thriller binges free on Pluto TV
From paranormal conspiracies to spy missions and deep-space survival, these completed shows give you plenty to get lost in.
Free ad-supported streamers like Pluto TV are a great place to find binges you can get lost in. Because they license (mostly completed) shows, you get a ton of seasons, a full series arc, and (hopefully) a satisfying ending. And if it’s a thriller you’re looking for, Pluto TV doesn’t disappoint. Below you’ll find one of the best sci-fi thriller shows ever made, along with a cult classic sci-fi binge and a couple of mainstream hits. So, here are my picks for the best thriller binges on Pluto TV.
Best binge-worthy thriller shows streaming on Pluto TV
Best paranormal conspiracy binge: ‘The X-Files’
“The X-Files” was hugely popular in our house when I was growing up. That’s mostly due to my older sister, who loved it. So, I regularly caught episodes I was probably too young to watch! For a sci-fi thriller that started in 1993, “The X-Files” holds up pretty darn well. Two FBI agents (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) investigate weird cases no one can explain. Duchovny’s Mulder wants to believe it’s all part of something bigger, whereas Anderson’s Scully comes in with the calm, skeptical scientific mind. That back and forth is really what this show is all about.
As a binge, it’s the best of all worlds. You get a monster-of-the-week mystery with self-contained episodes, along with a much larger conspiracy running underneath it all, from the Smoking Man to Deep Throat, The Lone Gunmen, and much more. It’s spooky, ultra-paranoid, and the creature design is still awesome (the Flukeman absolutely terrified me). With all 11 seasons streaming on Pluto TV, there’s no better thriller to binge.
The X-Files
The exploits of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder believes in the existence of aliens and the paranormal while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned to make scientific analyses of Mulder’s discoveries that debunk Mulder’s work and thus return him to mainstream cases.
Best sci-fi mystery binge: ‘Fringe’
“Fringe” starts with a plane landing at Boston’s Logan Airport. Except everyone on board is dead. And that’s as normal as this show gets. Like “The X-Files,” it follows FBI agent Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv, as she investigates everything from mind control to mutations. Basically, if science has somehow gone wrong, Dunham is on the scene – usually alongside Walter Bishop, a scientist who’s spent years in a psychiatric hospital, and his estranged son, Peter (Joshua Jackson).
In the beginning, you get a similar case-of-the-week, but it becomes much more serialized the deeper you get. Think parallel universes, different versions of the same characters, and plenty of weird science. And just like the slow-burn romance of Mulder and Scully, you get a similar vibe with Dunham and Peter, giving the show a strong emotional undertone when you need a break from the chaos. All five seasons are currently free on Pluto TV with exactly 100 episodes to rip through.
Fringe
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, brilliant but formerly institutionalized scientist Walter Bishop and his scheming, reluctant son Peter uncover a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realize they may be a part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and technology.
Best spy thriller binge: ‘Alias’
I always have time for Jennifer Garner, and she’s at her peak in “Alias.” This spy thriller follows her as Sydney Bristow, a college student who gets pulled into the SD-6 — a secret organization that turns out to actually be a terrorist group in disguise. So she goes to the actual CIA and offers to turn double for them.
Creator J.J. Abrams puts his signature style all over this one (he also co-created “Fringe” above, as well as “Lost” — can you ever forgive him?). It’s packed full of disguises, double crosses, family drama, and enough cliffhangers to keep you hitting next ep. Compared to modern spy shows, yes, some stuff hasn’t aged great, but it’s still fun and twisty and a great binge for free.
Alias
Sydney Bristow, an agent who has been tricked to believe she is working for the U.S. government, is actually working for a criminal organization named the Alliance of Twelve. Upon learning this, Sydney becomes a double agent for the real CIA.
Best sci-fi survival binge: ‘Battlestar Galactica’
A cult classic never dies. And it’s big news that Pluto TV now carries “Battlestar Galactica.” The 2004 reboot cares as much about the survival story as it does the spaceships and gun battles, so you get something much deeper than you’d expect. It’s part political drama, military thriller, and fascinating character study, which is why it’s standing the test of time.
The story follows the last human survivors after the machines they created, the Cylons, wipe almost everyone out. They make a break for it into space to try and find a new home. Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) are desperately trying to maintain order for the fleet as they’re basically running (flying) for their lives. It’s the shortest binge on this list at four seasons, but don’t let that stop you. It’s a classic for a reason.
Battlestar Galactica
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
More thriller TV shows to binge on Pluto TV:
‘The Closer’
The Closer
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson’s quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world’s best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics.
‘Rizzoli & Isles’
Rizzoli & Isles
Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston’s homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protective shield in each other’s company, and combine their expertise to solve Boston’s most complex cases.
‘The Fall’
The Fall
When the Police Service of Northern Ireland are unable to close a case after 28 days, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson of the Metropolitan Police Service is called in to review the case. Under her new leadership, the local detectives must track down and stop a serial killer who is terrorising the city of Belfast.
‘The 100’
The 100
100 years in the future, when the Earth has been abandoned due to radioactivity, the last surviving humans live on an ark orbiting the planet — but the ark won’t last forever. So the repressive regime picks 100 expendable juvenile delinquents to send down to Earth to see if the planet is still habitable.